| Fuzzy trace theory posits that general memories, known as gist, may produce false memories. Yet the process of how exactly false memory may affect the validity of decision making is not well-understood. The purpose of this study was first, to determine the extent up to which certain decision-making categories in a multinational corporation may be influenced by false memory, second, to identify under what conditions of temporal preferences and pressures false memories are most likely to occur, and third, to know whether polychronic or monochronic employees -- i.e. those that prefer multitasking as opposed to those who prefer doing one thing at a time are more susceptible to false memory. Through a case study and survey, the research identified then ranked decision-making categories by their potential to generate false memory. A scatter graph of personal time use preference was plotted against the time use required by their work task that helped determine which particular decision making categories were preferred under different types of temporal preferences and pressures. Using the Kruskal Wallis test, comparison of temporal match and mismatch confirmed that under certain temporal conditions polychronic employees tend to use more gist-influenced decision making than monochronic employees. The research is expected to facilitate positive social change through an increased understanding by business leaders of how temporal work preferences and pressures influence decision making. This should increase their awareness of the validity and reliability of the corporate decision-making processes, improve the quality of decisions they make, and consequently enhance their competitive advantage. |
